The Halloween Phantom
by Innocent Thief
Summary: A normal Halloween night is what Sam expected. Little did she know, her expectations were going to be shattered the moment she walked up the steps of that old, decaying house where eerie lights flashed and the echo of laughter could be heard. [AU]


_The Halloween Phantom_

She didn't know exactly what had brought her to the decrepit house in the darkest, most eerie corner of the street. It could've been the echoes of laughter, the flashes of light, or the shivering of her cowardly best friend. But either way, she was standing fearlessly on the doorstep—her violet eyes flashed in determination as she knocked on the old, splintered door. Caving in was not on her agenda. "Is anyone there?" she called out, glancing at the cracked windows. No reply came. All she heard was a fluttering of wings as bats darted out of the building and into the shadows of the night—the luminous moon rays flickering as they passed. "Hello?" She frowned—her voice seemed to disappear in the darkness. She ran her fingers through her raven black hair in frustration. Tucker had said that someone, some_thing_, had appeared before him in a flash of emerald light. He'd been pushed to the ground before a low chuckle came from above. _"I apologize."_ The smooth, tenor voice had said with false politeness. _"I wasn't looking where I was going." _Tucker said that he'd opened his eyes and found himself face to face with a monster—it had glowing red eyes and its cracked lips were twisted into a frightening smirk. Tucker screamed at the top of his lungs, trashing his arms wildly in the air. Then, the eerie voice broke into a fit of loud, roaring laughter. _"Happy Halloween!"_

Sam already realized that the so called monster was simply a mask that bully had used—Tucker mentioned that the monster's face was lying on the ground beside him. But the boy was so scared and gullible he believed the monster had torn his own face off. Sam had done her best to calm him down—rubbing his back, reassuring him that he was safe—but in the end, Tucker was still so jumpy that she had no choice but to walk him home. He'd told her where the incident occurred so she decided to investigate a bit before returning to her own home. After all, it was Halloween. Her parents didn't expect her home so soon. She pulled at her short black skirt, shivering as the air around her grew colder. Her dark violet leggings and knee-high boots wouldn't keep her warm much longer. "Open up!" she cried, pounding on the door again, suddenly wishing she hadn't worn her favorite black belly-shirt. The news had said a warm night was in store for this Halloween. They'd never been _this _wrong about the weather before. "Let me—" Sam paused. Just _what _in the world was she doing? For all she knew, no one was in this building. She kicked herself mentally and turned around, ready to go home.

A loud creak erupted from behind. She froze on the steps, slowly looking over her shoulder. "H-hello?" she whispered, her voice cracking in fear. The door was wide open, seemingly beckoning to her. She took one hesitant step forward. "Is anyone…there?" An invisible force seemed to push her forward. Within seconds, she was inside the dilapidated house, the door closing behind her. She jumped, eyes wide, and rubbed her bare arms for warmth. "Who's there?" she called out, knowing full well that someone, or something, was nearby. The sudden crackling of a fire made her shivering increase. She glanced around before deciding to follow the small ray of light coming from a room on her left. She walked slowly, warily, and entered the living room. Surprisingly, there was no dust, only the occasional cracks and creaks of the old floorboards. She set herself on the ground in front of a roaring fire, refusing to sit on the couch. Though it seemed she'd been given permission to enter and be comfortable, she still didn't find it right to act completely at ease—every small noise made her awareness grow. Sam wrapped her arms around her legs, beginning to feel exhausted. "Thank you." She mumbled to no one in particular and felt the heat of a blush crawl along her cheeks in doing so. What if no one was here and she was just imagining all of this? The wind could've opened and closed the door. The cold might've originated from her growing fear and the fire could possibly be an illusion, a trick of light. Sam pushed all her thoughts aside and got to her feet. "I'm such an idiot." She muttered, shaking her head in disgust as she stomped away. The noise from her boots echoed throughout the house causing the bats still in residence to screech in irritation.

"My, my. You're not being very kind now, are you?" an uncanny voice chuckled from no particular direction, causing her to shiver once again. "You can't just enter into another's home and then disturb his residents into a screaming fit. It's not polite." The voice had an otherworldly echo in itself without the vastness of the house adding on to it. Sam could feel a scream bubbling up in her throat but refused to let it escape. "Oh, and by the way…" the voice continued, "You're welcome."

The raven haired girl quickly scanned her surroundings, searching for anything that would give away the position of the voice's owner. "Who are you?" she asked incredulously, half expecting to wake up in bed and discover that this was all a dream. She could've fallen asleep in front of the fireplace… A sudden flash of green light caused her to cover her face in her hands. Moments later she risked a peek through her fingers, not prepared for what she was about to see... Her gasp was so sharp, she doubled over in a spasm of coughing, her eyes locked on the pair of glowing white boots before her.

"…I don't think I expected that." She heard him say as she caught her breath. There was a wide smirk adorning his pale face when she glanced up. His disheveled white hair seemed to waver gently in the air as though there was a breeze focusing solely on him. Bright emerald eyes watched her carefully, noting every movement she made. His whole body was illuminated by a glow that seemed to radiate from inside of him. She took a hesitant step forward, her hand outstretched before pausing—her eyebrows furrowing together in thought. He tilted his head to the side. "You're not scared." He pointed out skeptically.

The corners of her lips turned up in a sheepish smile as she forced a breathy laugh. "Not exactly, I guess." She murmured, avoiding his eyes. His gaze was so deep and intense, it made her feel as though he could see through her or that he was trying to at least. She glanced at his attire, noticing the glowing white gloves, belt, and symbol on his chest. "That design—does it stand for anything?"

"My name, of course." He shrugged, seeming bored with the topic. He stared out into the night through one of the windows. "Would you like to go somewhere else?" he grinned mischievously, his teeth flashing as he turned back to her. When she didn't reply, his grin faded into an irritated scowl. "You have horrible manners." He scolded, crossing his arms over his chest. "Here I am trying to be civilized while you just stare at me like I've lost my mind." He let out a sigh and shook his head in disapproval.

Sam's eyes widened a fraction before she held out her hands. "Oh. No, no. I just don't think... I mean, you can't be real. I must have fallen asleep or something. This is a dream, right?" she asked quietly. Taking his amused look as a no, she hesitantly took a step closer. "This isn't a dream?" He shook his head and met her steps halfway. "Then…" She brushed her fingers across his cheek before quickly pulling back. "You're freezing!" she gasped. "Don't you want a blanket or something?" She received a hearty laugh in return. It took a few moments for everything about him to click together in her mind. "You're a…ghost?"

"Pleasure to meet you." The specter bowed, gently taking her fingers in his grasp. "I'm Phantom. Danny Phantom, to be exact." He kissed her hand and stood up again with a smirk. "And you're a human?"

She rubbed her fingers, staring at him in shock. "I'm Sam Manson…and I must be hallucinating."

He laughed again and hit her forehead with his knuckles. "You're not hallucinating, Sammy. Haven't you heard of me on the news before?"

"Well, yes. I don't watch the news much though. And, you know, _Daniel_ Phantom would've been more exact than Danny."

"True. But I don't like the name Daniel—too much of hassle to say and much too mature for my liking. That and I'm normally known only as Phantom." He stepped around her, taking long strides that she had trouble keeping up with. He opened the front door, looking down at her with a grin. "Now back to my earlier question," He placed his hand on her shoulder, gauging her mood with his intent gaze. "Would you like to go somewhere else?"

Sam glanced around, curious to see if anyone was watching them. "That really depends on where I guess." She murmured deliberately, seeing the mischief in his eyes. She felt his hand slide down her back and was about to protest but, before she could utter a word, he lifted her into his arms and pressed his mouth against her own in a kiss. His cold lips sent shivers down her spine and soon enough, she felt as though her entire body had turned to ice. As soon as he pulled away, she took a deep breath, ready to scream at the top of her lungs. He noticed that quickly enough and glanced to the side before dropping her legs to the ground. He pressed her tightly against his chest, lifting her chin with his free hand, and kissed her again—harder this time half due to the fact that he was slightly irritated; the other half simply because he was enjoying her reactions. "Stop it." She mumbled against his mouth, trying to push his body away in vain. His firm hold left her breathless and a bright red blush warmed her cool cheeks.

Phantom pulled away with an innocent expression and licked his lips—his eyes were bright with mischief. "Stop what?" he smiled, looking like a child who'd gotten his favorite candy. Pressing his finger to her mouth, he added in a more serious tone. "No screaming, Sammy." She nodded, realizing that arguing with him could most likely lead to injury. She had no idea how powerful he was. His smile turned smug and he lifted her into his arms once more. "Let's fly." He whispered in her ear.

Sam closed her eyes, clinging onto his shoulders desperately, as her feet left the ground. The exhilaration flying brought was so strong, that a smile made its way on her face before she even noticed. Blinking violet eyes met brilliant emerald green and Sam couldn't help but wonder if he was enjoying this as well. His arrogant expression had disappeared completely. He was watching her, deciding if this was too much for her to handle. She squeezed his shoulders reassuringly and glanced behind her. The old house was already many feet away from them and she saw little kids running down the sidewalks, big grins plastered on their faces, showing off their candy as though it was a grand trophy. Finally, she turned to him—resting her head on his chest—with a confused expression. "I'm freezing." She said pointedly.

"You mean that you're really cold." He corrected with a smile. "And I already know." He rested his chin on top of her head, tightening his grip ever so slightly. "You're cold for…two reasons, I guess. Although they can be considered as one. But anyway, the first reason, you're with me. Second, you're intangible."

"Intangible?" she asked skeptically, gazing down at her legs or at least where she knew her legs to be. She gasped and looked forward. She couldn't see him either. "I'm…invisible." She mumbled. "When did you do this?"

"Less than a minute ago. You didn't realize?" He felt her head shake against his chest. "You're not as observant as I thought you were then… And you really shouldn't have worn those clothes." He chuckled. Ignoring her ranting about how they were her some of her favorite clothes and that she hadn't been expecting to run into an actual ghost, he glanced down at the buildings in Amity Park, deciding if he should go to her home or his hide-out. He chose the latter easily enough, finding her chatter to be strangely amusing. He landed on the rooftop of a closed movie theater and waited for a moment to see if Sam would say anything more. When she didn't, she was preparing herself mentally for how she thought floating through walls would feel, he fazed down into the theater and gently placed her on a soft, cushioned chair. "I'll be right back, Sammy." He patted her head gently and flew away, turning on the lights as he went.

Sam's shivering came back with a vengeance—warmth spread throughout her body now that she was tangible again but it still wasn't enough. "D-Danny!" she stuttered, rubbing her arms violently. Her cry echoed in the empty room. She glanced up at the big theater screen, her eyes watering from the vivid light. She was sitting in the middle of the eighth row, close enough to see a movie clearly but not hurt your neck in doing so. She rolled her eyes. He wasn't planning on watching a movie, was he? She sighed and fidgeted in the chair impatiently before deciding to take a small nap. He probably wouldn't come back anyway. Ghosts and humans never got along. Sam had almost fallen asleep when the doors behind her flew open, causing her to jump up in alarm. She saw Phantom walking into the room with an assortment of items in his arms before her vision blurred and she swayed to the side. When she regained balance, she looked up at the shocked expression on the ghost's face. "Sorry. I almost fell asleep waiting for you." She chuckled, rubbing the exhaustion from her eyes. "What'd you bring with you?" she yawned as she plopped herself into a chair.

He shook his head, the mischievous smile quickly returning to his face, and placed everything on the floor beside her. He unfolded a blanket and tossed it on her lap. "For Miss Crazy here," Rolling his eyes, he pulled at the strap of her shirt. "A blanket to keep you warm." He cooed and brushed his lips against her cheek. Phantom ignored the glare sent his way and began tucking the blanket around her thin frame.

"That reminds me…" Sam drawled, her eyes flashing with anger. "_Why_ did you have to kiss me?"

"I didn't have to." He laughed, not seeming to notice her change in mood. He patted her leg and nodded absentmindedly before rummaging through the items on the floor. "What?" he queried as he turned toward her again. Her eyebrow was twitching in irritation and her mouth was tightly closed. "Did you not like my kisses?" he pouted.

"No!" she cried, struggling to break her arms free. "You shouldn't have done that! You took my first kiss!" She felt a bit awkward yelling at him when she was bound captive in a warm blanket, but there was no way she would condone his indecent treatment of her.

"Your first kiss?" he smiled brightly, resting his arms on her legs. "Sammy, that's so cute. Now you'll never forget me." He closed his eyes and nodded again in satisfaction—not seeming to notice the growl that escaped her lips. "Anyway…" Phantom held a thermos up to her face. "Would you like some hot chocolate?"

She let out a frustrated sigh and muttered, "You are _so_ aggravating."

"Well, that was rude. Now you're not getting any hot chocolate." He snorted, placing the thermos on the ground. He noticed her legs shivering even underneath the blanket and paused—his brows furrowed in thought. She _needed_ to warm up, whether she wanted to accept his hospitality or not. "Sammy." Looking up into her eyes, he pouted again. "I worked really hard making this hot chocolate… Please try some. _Please?_" He saw her eyes widen in disbelief and held back a smirk.

"Uhh…" Sam glanced at the thermos, fidgeting uncomfortably, as she deliberated. She was still awfully cold but, accepting his hospitality would be like surrendering. He'd _kissed_ her. How could she forget that? They weren't good friends. They weren't friends at all. They couldn't even be considered acquaintances yet. She shook her head roughly and glanced down into watery emerald eyes. "Well, I guess… I could try some." She mumbled. She didn't know what had made her give in so easily—his pouting or her own shivering. "Will you be drinking hot chocolate too?"

He blinked, not having expected that question. "…I could. I don't see why not." He grinned. "Thanks, Sammy." Phantom twisted the thermos cap off and retrieved two mugs from his pile, pouring the steaming liquid into each one. "Happy Halloween." He chuckled, handing her a cup.

"Happy Halloween indeed." She snorted before taking a small sip. She watched as he sank into the seat beside her, deciding if she should risk his mood. "May I ask you something?"

"Of course." He said although wariness tinged his bright emerald eyes. He brought the mug to his lips, savoring the warmth of the hot chocolate traveling through his body. "Go on." He urged, smiling warmly, when she hesitated. He leaned closer for her benefit.

Sam stared at the symbol on his chest curiously, only now noticing the initials of his name within it. "How old are you?" she asked, slowly reaching her free hand towards him. He stayed silent, watching her hand as it rested against his insignia. She ran her fingers over it and looked up at him from beneath her lashes. "I like it." She murmured with a timid smile and averted her gaze. "Are you going to answer my question?"

"I'm seventeen." He whispered, placing his hand over hers. "My sister was always really passionate about helping me out once she realized I was a ghost. So, she made this for me. If she didn't, I'd probably be flying around with my dad's face on my chest. What a sight that would be." Chuckling lightly, he took a small sip from his mug. He watched Sam's face carefully, noticing the way her lips opened and closed with questions she wanted to ask. He smiled, "What else would you like to know?"

She wiggled her hand free from his and slowly reached up. "May I?" she asked, realizing that he'd closed his eyes. He leaned his head closer to her and nodded. She hesitated for a moment before gently touching his white hair—it was softer than she'd imagined. Sam heard him laugh quietly at her shy behavior and rolled her eyes. Tugging on a piece of his hair with a grin, she brought her mug to her lips once more. "Now that I've got my strange desire to feel your hair out of the way," She muttered absentmindedly. "I have more questions." Violet met green in an instant and Sam felt a light blush on her cheeks. "What?" she mumbled—his goofy smile was less than trusting.

He moved forward, his face only a few inches away from hers. "Sammy likes my hair?"

"Well, yes." She noticed the mischievous gleam in his eyes and warned him in a stern tone, "Be careful though. If you make a big fuss out of it, I won't like your hair anymore."

Phantom laughed good-naturedly and leaned back against his chair. "I can accept that." He grinned, staring up at the ceiling. He draped his arm around the empty seat beside him, deliberating. He could hear the girl shift into a more comfortable position and sigh contently as the hot chocolate soothed her trembling. A frown creased his brow as the situation cleared in his mind. He'd basically _kidnapped_ an innocent girl—a curious ambler, who just happened to investigate the wrong building at the wrong time. And worst of all, she wasn't even afraid of him. Not in the slightest. She _should_ be. But she wasn't. And strangely enough, he didn't feel completely perturbed by that. But wait… "Why were you there? At the old building, I mean. You seemed a bit angry."

She stayed silent for a few moments, having forgotten how she ended up here with him in the first place. "Oh. It was because of Tucker, the boy you scared senseless with a rubber monster mask." She threw a pointed glare in his direction before setting her mug on the armrest. "Which was extremely rude, you know. Halloween or not."

"Well, excuse me for not having anything else to do with myself." He snorted, snatching her mug into his hand as he stomped into the aisle of the theater and began pacing. "That's the problem with you humans! You claim that everything a ghost does is evil but look at some of the disgusting activities you take part in! What? Ghosts aren't allowed to have fun on the only holiday that focuses on them? Is that it? Judgmental little fools." He stepped in front of her, his head lowered. "I hate humans." He whispered, the mugs slipping from his hands and onto the ground. "I hate them."

Sam looked on in stunned silence as Phantom fell to his knees and dropped his head into her lap. "…Danny?" she murmured softly, reaching out to run her fingers through his hair. "Do you hate me?"

"No." he croaked, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that."

"What you said had some truth to it, I guess. But… Is there something else wrong?"

He let out an exaggerated sigh and laid his arms over her lap, resting his head on top of them."Why would you care?" he chuckled.

"I don't." she stated bluntly, twirling a lock of snow white hair around her finger. "But I can't get back home without you so… I'd like to help." She smiled, tucking her free hand under his chin. She lifted his face, uncertainty in her eyes, and kissed him tenderly on the forehead—she hoped he would take it as a sign of her sincereness.

He smiled warmly and gazed up at her. "You are helping." He fell into pensive silent after that, sorting through the thoughts in his head, before he broke out in laughter so vigorous and jovial that Sam couldn't help but join in. "Sometimes I feel like a teenage girl with all these crazy mood swings." He grinned as the violet eyed girl in front of him caught her breath. "I blame you partially though. You should become my personal psychotherapist."

She snorted and tugged on his hair, pulling his head down to her lap once again. "Why do you say that?"

"I feel completely at ease with you. I'm willing to share anything." He flashed her a brilliant smile full of mischief and childish glee. "Is that weird?"

"Yes. It is actually." She pointed out, averting her gaze to the ceiling. "But then again you're not like anyone I've ever met."

"Very true." The ghost lifted himself into the air and floated around her in circles—his face calm and serene. "Which is good. You won't get tired of me too easily. I'll always have more surprises ready for you."

"Hmm…" Sam tapped her chin with her finger, deep in thought, and ignored him completely. "It's all starting to make sense now actually. You've been alone for, what? About 2 or 3 years?" She hadn't directed the question at him, so she continued to ramble on without noticing the sullen look on Danny's face. "That's why you've become so attached to me so quickly. I'm the first person to never scream in your face and thrash around like a wild animal. I'm actually treating you as a normal human being…" She snapped her fingers, shaking her head in amazement. "You were lonely." She mumbled. "Even if you didn't realize it yourself. But now you've got someone to talk to. Unfortunately, for me, _I'm_ the lucky someone."

"Earth to Sammy!" Phantom grinned, floating upside-down, inches away from her face.

Sam jerked back against the chair with a sharp gasp. "Don't do that!" she breathed. Her eyes narrowed in irritation as he laughed heartily, twirling through the air like dancer.

"Now, now. Don't give me that look." He landed gracefully on the back of a chair only a few rows down from where she sat. "You're the one who chose to ignore me. You're just lucky I find you amusing or else… Who knows what could've happened." He sent her a mysterious smile before disappearing from sight, his laughter echoing throughout the room in all directions.

The raven haired girl froze, searching for any sign as to where he was. "This isn't funny, Danny." She scowled and turned towards the theater doors. "Where are you?" Minutes passed and she still received no reply from the green eyed ghost. With a frustrated growl, she threw the blanket to the ground and stomped up the aisle—her frustration grew when she realized the exit was locked. "Danny!" she shrieked, her small hands balled into fists at her sides. "This isn't funny, you jerk! Let me out!" Sam pounded on the door repeatedly, hoping that someone—preferably not Danny—would hear. The time seemed to pass by slowly as she struggled to break free. Eventually, annoyance got the better of her and she paced the aisle muttering curses to the ghost who deserted her. She tripped over the pile he'd left as her energy died down and was surprised to see a big, comfy pillow, slippers, a brush, and a pair of black fleece pajamas. Even more surprising was the fact that she recognized them all. "He…was in my house?" she whispered, her tone of voice showing that she wasn't sure whether to be thankful or angry. Sam glanced around warily before taking the pajamas into her arms. "You're dead wrong if you think I'm willing to change when I don't know where you are." She drawled, throwing the clothes in a chair. She tugged off her boots and skirt and pulled the pajama bottoms on over her violet leggings. As she slipped her arms into the pajama shirt, a cool breeze brushed against her face. Sam jumped, fumbling with the buttons on her top. She dragged her pillow away from the pile and collapsed to the ground on top of it. "You had better leave me alone while I sleep… Good night." She murmured, burying her face in her arms.

Phantom waited until he heard the sound of her steady breathing—signaling that she had fallen asleep—before he materialized a few feet away from her. Gazing with rapt attention at the rise and fall of her chest, a gentle smile turned the corners of his pale lips. "Happy Halloween, Sammy."

~~oO~~***~~Oo~~

The violet eyed girl woke with a start and clutched the front of her shirt, breathing heavily. She glanced around the dimness of her room, noting the daylight that tried to leak in from behind her black curtains. "What a weird dream." She murmured and pressed the back of her palm to her forehead. An exaggerated yawn escaped from her throat. She turned on her side and lay down on her soft mattress, pulling the covers up over her shoulder. Drowsy violet orbs met laughing ice blue. Sam screamed—jerking back so quickly, she fell to the floor in a heap of bed sheets. "What are you doing in my bed?!" she shouted, her voice muffled as she tried to untangle herself. "Who are you?!"

"You don't remember me?" the raven haired male frowned, his familiar tenor voice causing Sam to gape in astonishment. "I'm crushed, Sammy." He sat up on his hands and stared at the girl on the floor. "…I like that hairstyle." He added with a smirk, holding back his laughter. But the look of deep concentration on her face quickly made his frown return. "You really don't remember?"

Her gaze swept over his form—blue jeans, black T-shirt, the disheveled hair, broad shoulders, and most of all those engaging bright eyes. "You're not…Danny? I wasn't dreaming?"

The male clicked his tongue against his teeth and slipped his legs off the mattress, nudging her gently with his foot. "You really should learn a thing or two about articulation, Sammy. I can teach you if you like."

"Yep, that's got to be Danny." Sam snorted as she stood up, throwing the sheets over his head. "But can you explain the sudden change in appearance to me?" She queried, standing in front of him with her hands on her hips.

He pulled the covers away and met her frown with a playful grin. "Now, that's not fair. You hurt my feelings, Sammy. _And_ you even thought everything that happened yesterday was a dream." He stood up and crossed his arms, using his height as a sign of his authority. "I feel I have a right to ignore your question until you apologize for your disrespectful behavior."

"Disrespectful? Well, you're one to talk! You kissed me when I didn't want you to!" She stomped away angrily and began rummaging through her dresser drawers in an attempt to stay calm. She could hear his soft footsteps behind her and briefly wondered why he regularly chose to walk on the ground instead of fly.

"Oh please." He scoffed, interrupting her musing. "You're still irritated by that?" He perched his chin on her shoulder and whispered in her ear. "You know you liked it." He smirked, his arms twirling around her slim form. She pushed and shoved aggressively but his grip remained firm. He let out a hearty laugh, pulling the girl closer into his warm embrace. "I'm still being rejected? What kind of girlfriend are you?"

"Girlfriend?!" Sam shrieked—her loathing violet eyes as wide as saucers. "What are you smoking?! Let me go!" As soon as the arms around her waist loosened, she jolted out of his hold, landing roughly on her bottom. His hand came down immediately to help her up, but she refused his offer with a roll of her eyes and stood on her feet once again. "You have _got_ to be the most obnoxious boy I've ever met." She sneered as she patted the legs of her pajama pants.

Danny snorted with an air of regality and crossed his arms. "I'm no mere boy, Sammy. I'm only half." He gazed off to the side as though he was listening to a faraway conversation. He noticed her blank stare from the corner of his eye and frowned. "What?"

"Explanations?" she prompted.

"Hmm…" He perceived the genuine curiosity hidden beneath her annoyed expression and smiled. "I'm half ghost, half human."

Her eyebrow rose in disbelief. "Is that so? Well, I'm half human and half vampire. No wonder we get along so wonderfully!" She threw her hands up in the air and spun on her heel, heading for her bed.

"Don't mock me." He warned, following close behind.

Sam sprawled across the mattress, glaring at him. "But it's unbelievable. No one can be human and ghost at the same time. You're just trying to mess with me."

"If I were trying to mess with you, you'd know it." He stated dismissively. "Now let me ask _you_ something. When I had you in my arms just now, were you cold?" He watched closely, a hint of a smile on his lips, as realization dawned upon her face like a rising sun—radiant and breathtaking. "You weren't." he confirmed and placed his hand over hers, grinning like a child. "I win. You have to apologize now, Sammy."

"Okay, okay. Fine. I'm sorry. But I need more information, you know."

Danny sat down next to her, his hand still covering hers. "What else would you like to know?" he inquired.

She stared at the ceiling for a moment. "Everything... How'd you become half ghost?"

"My parents created a portal to the Ghost Zone." He paused and glanced down at her carefully indifferent face. "Unfortunately, when they powered it up, the portal failed to open. So, my sister convinced me to go inside and see what was wrong. I ended up hitting some switch, I guess, because the whole thing exploded in light. By the time I came to…I'd become a ghost. My sister was unconscious on the ground." He was surprised that Sam hadn't interrupted him yet and patted her hand absently. "My parents discovered what I'd become a year later. They're ghost hunters though, always have been. They'd tried to capture me multiple times." Her gasp startled him from his reminiscence. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing." She mumbled, a light blush creeping across her face as she sat up. "Please continue."

Danny raised an eyebrow in amusement. "As you wish, milady." He chuckled, glad that she hadn't pulled her hand away from his. "So, as I was saying, my parents are ghost hunters. They were torn between giving up their career or their son. But… I knew how miserable they'd probably be without ghost hunting so I made the decision for them."

Sam gazed down at the floor—she couldn't even begin to imagine how hard it must've been for Danny's parents to discover he was the very species they hunted daily. She could feel his arm wrap around her shoulders but was too entranced by his tale to reject the comforting gesture.

"I told them to move out of Amity Park—there were so many other cities they'd been dying to hunt in. I paid for all of their tickets…" His tone grew softer and Sam could hear the shame in his voice. "I forced them out and followed just to be sure they were safe. I still keep in touch with them…kind of. I'll drop by their new home every now and then to bring small gifts, letting them know I'm alright. They'll leave presents for me too—on holidays or my birthday. They even left a small piece of cake once" He chuckled, a gentle smile on his lips. Running his hand through his messy raven hair, he let out a sigh of satisfaction. "And now your mother believes that I'm your secret lover."

"What?!" the violet eyed girl screamed, tearing away from his arm. She took one look at the smug expression on his face and moaned, "I can't believe you. You've ruined my life in less than a day."

"I haven't ruined anything. In fact, I've improved your life." He retorted, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Having me as your secret lover is an honor, Sammy."

Sam rolled her eyes and folded her thin arms over her chest. "What _exactly_ did you say to her?"

"Well… I told your mother that you fell asleep while watching a movie with me. She asked me who I was and if I'd known you long. So, of course, I answered truthfully." He grinned widely, ignoring the skeptic glare he was being given. "I said that I felt like I've known you my whole life but we only met three years ago at a Goth convention. Also, I'm homeschooled, an orphan, and I used to live in a town not too far away from here. But now I live with a childhood friend of my parents. And…I think that's about it." He tapped his chin with his finger, deliberating. She watched him in annoyed silence. "Oh!" he exclaimed moments later and pulled something out of the back pocket of his jeans. "While you were sleeping, your mom showed me some old albums. You were so _cute_ when you were little, Sammy." He flipped through the small stack of pictures in his hand with a playful smirk. "She gave me the extras, you know."

Sam gaped at him, terrified. "…Seriously?" He nodded, sending a wave of dismay throughout her body. "I hate my mom." She groaned and covered her face with her hands.

"And one more thing… I mentioned that the place where I stay is a bit crowded…" He noticed the apprehension in her eyes as she peeked at him through her fingers. "So, your mother's having a room prepared for me here. She said I'll be the son she always wanted."

"No!" she moaned and fell to her side, curling up in a defensive ball. "No, no, no. Please don't do this to me."

"I'll be attending your school too." He chirped, greatly amused by the way she was reacting.

"Please don't."

"Oh and guess what."

She sent him a weak glare. "I'd rather not."

Danny stared at her, a radiant grin on his face. "She's planning our wedding as we speak."

Sam closed her eyes with a groan, trying her hardest to ignore the cheerful laughter of the half ghost male beside her. I _hate_ Halloween, she thought before she was pushed on her back and a pair of warm lips pressed against hers in a kiss. I hate it _so_ much.

~~oO~~***~~Oo~~

**Author:** The longest one-shot in Roxxy history... But, no. Danny didn't _actually_ fall in love with Sam...not yet, at least. Hehehe. He just kisses Sammy to get a rise out of her. So... Happy Halloween everyone! I hope you enjoyed the rambling of my hyperactive mind, lol.

To my readers of Property, I'm working on a few of my original stories, trying to meet a late December deadline. So I'm really, really sorry but the next chapter will probably come late again. Please forgive me! I'm trying my hardest, I just really need a partner or something. Maybe an extra brain would work.. Ranting's done. Happy Halloween!...again. =)


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